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Hallowe'en's great, right? A chance to get back at all the adults who make life hell. A night to make them suffer - and they just have to laugh and take it. That's how it works.
But what if you've hitched up with someone who has serious payback in mind? A girl with a whole lifetime of vengeance to take. A trick-night veteran who plays by different rules...
Do you really want to be out there with her...in the dark?
But what if you've hitched up with someone who has serious payback in mind? A girl with a whole lifetime of vengeance to take. A trick-night veteran who plays by different rules...
Do you really want to be out there with her...in the dark?
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
2 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Lee
20 books11 followersSamantha Lee began writing while she was still a professional performer. Her output is as diverse as it is prolific, covering both fact and fiction and including novels in the sci-fi and dark fantasy genres, self-development and exercise books, short stories and articles, TV series and movie screenplays, literary criticism and poetry. Her work has been translated into French, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, German, Croatian, Greek and Chinese.
Of her sixteen books to date the last five feature in Scholastic’s best-selling imprint ‘Point Horror’. A regular columnist for ‘Work-out Magazine’ for five years and ‘The Marbella Times’ and ‘Viva Espana’ for three, she has had over two hundred articles published worldwide. Seventy-seven of her quirky short stories have featured on radio and TV as well as in various best-selling anthologies and popular magazines. Her black comedy screenplay ‘The Gingerbread House’ has been sold twice, first to ‘Niagara Films’ then to ‘Random Harvest Productions’. Her latest novella – ‘The Listeners’ forms part of the British Fantasy Society book ‘Houses on the Borderland’ due to be launched at Fantasycon next September.
Sam has taught creative writing workshops in libraries and at literary Festivals all over Britain and acted as Master of Ceremonies at Fantasycon 11. In the Year of Literature she was writer in residence during the ‘Welcome to my Nightmare’ weekend in Swansea. She currently lives in the hills above Malaga City in southern Spain, weaving her webs, casting her spells, telling her tales, dreaming her dreams.
Of her sixteen books to date the last five feature in Scholastic’s best-selling imprint ‘Point Horror’. A regular columnist for ‘Work-out Magazine’ for five years and ‘The Marbella Times’ and ‘Viva Espana’ for three, she has had over two hundred articles published worldwide. Seventy-seven of her quirky short stories have featured on radio and TV as well as in various best-selling anthologies and popular magazines. Her black comedy screenplay ‘The Gingerbread House’ has been sold twice, first to ‘Niagara Films’ then to ‘Random Harvest Productions’. Her latest novella – ‘The Listeners’ forms part of the British Fantasy Society book ‘Houses on the Borderland’ due to be launched at Fantasycon next September.
Sam has taught creative writing workshops in libraries and at literary Festivals all over Britain and acted as Master of Ceremonies at Fantasycon 11. In the Year of Literature she was writer in residence during the ‘Welcome to my Nightmare’ weekend in Swansea. She currently lives in the hills above Malaga City in southern Spain, weaving her webs, casting her spells, telling her tales, dreaming her dreams.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 13, 2021
Annie is sent to live with her grandmother while her mother and stepfather go on holiday. She's none too thrilled about this development, and spends the first 50 pages behaving like an intolerable snot. You would think Annie is five, not fifteen! Shut in her room by her grandmother, Annie is enticed to sneak out and go trick-or-treating by a strange girl, Amy. Annie thinks Amy is strange, but likes her. We the reader learn from other characters that Amy actually went missing the previous Halloween and is presumed dead. It's clear that Amy is a ghost, and the book gradually unravels the events that led to her death, uncovering many small-town secrets.
Another Point Horror Unleashed title that isn't so much for young adults, more it just happens to feature some adolescent characters. There are actually some pretty heavy themes running through this book, with it clear that Amy and her mother were the victims of domestic violence. There are also two teen brothers who are clearly moving on from torturing and killing animals to potentially torturing, raping and killing young girls. The book is not explicit by any means, but a said, the material can get quite dark. As we learn more about Amy's life, I also felt quite sad for her.
But as a horror story, it's lacking. There are no real scares to be had. I thought I might be reading a book about a girl seeking vengeance against those she feels contributed to her death, but the retribution meted out is unsatisfactory and underwhelming. And although set in the US, all the characters seemed to speak British slang. It was weird. Still, this was an involving story that I read in one go, and wanted to find out what happened.
Another Point Horror Unleashed title that isn't so much for young adults, more it just happens to feature some adolescent characters. There are actually some pretty heavy themes running through this book, with it clear that Amy and her mother were the victims of domestic violence. There are also two teen brothers who are clearly moving on from torturing and killing animals to potentially torturing, raping and killing young girls. The book is not explicit by any means, but a said, the material can get quite dark. As we learn more about Amy's life, I also felt quite sad for her.
But as a horror story, it's lacking. There are no real scares to be had. I thought I might be reading a book about a girl seeking vengeance against those she feels contributed to her death, but the retribution meted out is unsatisfactory and underwhelming. And although set in the US, all the characters seemed to speak British slang. It was weird. Still, this was an involving story that I read in one go, and wanted to find out what happened.
October 24, 2019
AMY by Samantha Lee
(Review by Trevor Kennedy for Phantasmagoria Magazine)
Teen Angst and Small Town Secrets
When fifteen-year-old Annie is forced to spend Halloween with her grandmother in the small American town of Stillwater, it doesn’t take long for the teen to get herself into bother. You see, on the night of her arrival she acquires a new friend, the mysterious Amy, whom, it’s believed by the rest of townsfolk, ran away from home on the previous year’s Halloween night.
After Annie has an unpleasant encounter with the even more unpleasant Grady twins, Jacky and Joe, the real truth of the mystery behind Amy is eventually revealed, bit by bit, in a dark, expertly weaved tale, that brings to the fore some of the deepest secrets of the townsfolk and their not-so-innocent pasts.
I genuinely cannot decide if this is a book aimed at the Young Adult market or more mature readers. At first glance it does indeed appear to be directed at the YA/teen readership, but as the plot progresses it becomes apparent that there is some quite serious, David Lynch-esque darkness simmering underneath, with several very adult issues addressed, such as domestic violence, sadism, psychopathy, rape and child molestation (although the last one is arguably only hinted at with one of the supporting characters).
I must stress, however, that all of these story threads are handled in the most appropriate manner, never going down the road of gratuitousness or shock-seeking. To be able to treat said heavy topics in such a restrained fashion requires a writer of great skill and expertise, of course. Someone like Samantha Lee actually.
To be honest, when I first picked up this book I was expecting a fun Halloween ghost story (and it works greatly as that too), but as the plot progresses I found myself becoming more and more intrigued by the deepening conundrum surrounding the plight of the title character. It hooked me in, leaving me impatient for answers.
When all is said and done, it doesn’t really matter to me at all which market this book is aimed at. What I’m always looking for, however, as a reader, is a well told, gripping story that once I’ve finished will stay in my mind for some time. And that is exactly what I got here with Samantha Lee’s thoroughly enjoyable Amy. Perfect for a cold Halloween night at home in front of a warm fire.
Amy is available to purchase from Amazon and other retailers.
(Review by Trevor Kennedy for Phantasmagoria Magazine)
Teen Angst and Small Town Secrets
When fifteen-year-old Annie is forced to spend Halloween with her grandmother in the small American town of Stillwater, it doesn’t take long for the teen to get herself into bother. You see, on the night of her arrival she acquires a new friend, the mysterious Amy, whom, it’s believed by the rest of townsfolk, ran away from home on the previous year’s Halloween night.
After Annie has an unpleasant encounter with the even more unpleasant Grady twins, Jacky and Joe, the real truth of the mystery behind Amy is eventually revealed, bit by bit, in a dark, expertly weaved tale, that brings to the fore some of the deepest secrets of the townsfolk and their not-so-innocent pasts.
I genuinely cannot decide if this is a book aimed at the Young Adult market or more mature readers. At first glance it does indeed appear to be directed at the YA/teen readership, but as the plot progresses it becomes apparent that there is some quite serious, David Lynch-esque darkness simmering underneath, with several very adult issues addressed, such as domestic violence, sadism, psychopathy, rape and child molestation (although the last one is arguably only hinted at with one of the supporting characters).
I must stress, however, that all of these story threads are handled in the most appropriate manner, never going down the road of gratuitousness or shock-seeking. To be able to treat said heavy topics in such a restrained fashion requires a writer of great skill and expertise, of course. Someone like Samantha Lee actually.
To be honest, when I first picked up this book I was expecting a fun Halloween ghost story (and it works greatly as that too), but as the plot progresses I found myself becoming more and more intrigued by the deepening conundrum surrounding the plight of the title character. It hooked me in, leaving me impatient for answers.
When all is said and done, it doesn’t really matter to me at all which market this book is aimed at. What I’m always looking for, however, as a reader, is a well told, gripping story that once I’ve finished will stay in my mind for some time. And that is exactly what I got here with Samantha Lee’s thoroughly enjoyable Amy. Perfect for a cold Halloween night at home in front of a warm fire.
Amy is available to purchase from Amazon and other retailers.
March 9, 2023
Another old fave reread. I remember being freaked by this one when I was younger and it still works pretty well now, particularly the twist. An enjoyable read for what it is and solid short YA horror.
March 30, 2013
WOW, it has been AGES since I had this book, and in a matter of a day, I finish it quickly. I can't wait to read more of Samantha Lee, she is such an interesting and gripping author, it is such a shame that she has not released any new books in the past 5-6 years.
This book was extremely interesting, and at first I was a little confused at the title, as there is no one called Amy, in the first two chapters....... But then everything fits in nicely!
With as shocking and surprising twist at the end, that I sure as hell did not expect, this book is probably one of my top fave Point Horror novels, and definitely one that people should read.
This book was extremely interesting, and at first I was a little confused at the title, as there is no one called Amy, in the first two chapters....... But then everything fits in nicely!
With as shocking and surprising twist at the end, that I sure as hell did not expect, this book is probably one of my top fave Point Horror novels, and definitely one that people should read.
October 21, 2014
Fun little mystery/ghost story, let down by bad writing. Probably 1 star for an adult reader, but 3 for a younger teen.
May 20, 2015
Good old Point Horror, flash back to the 90's, a great ghost story for kids with a spooky twist at the end.
August 11, 2018
Very nice ghost story!
March 28, 2023
Somewhat predictable, however there were some plot twists that got you thinking. An enjoyable light read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews